Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Graham to King of Jordan: 'I am sorry.' Trump doesn’t represent America.
• US, Russia agree to push ahead with Syria talks
• Why Saudi Arabia's coalition against terror might not be all it appears
• The Latest: GOP presidential candidates meet for 5th debate
• Clinton: US needs '360-degree' anti-terror strategy
• Coalition efforts to stem IS oil yielding results, official says
• Top Asian News 10:31 p.m. GMT
• US Congress mulls reforms to visa-waiver program
• US general is first woman to oversee cadets at West Point academy
• Factbox: Oil, casino, refugees in U.S. Congress spending bill swirl
• Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon
• Saudi Arabia creates Islamic bloc to fight terror groups
• Pentagon says violence is on rise in Afghanistan
• Denmark charges first Syria fighter over joining IS
• Heavy Iraq crude has limited appeal for U.S. Gulf Coast buyers
• Suspect arrested over Paris attacks as raids continue across France
• Russian security agency investigates suspected IS sponsors
• Saudi reopens Baghdad embassy after 25 years
• Saudi forms 34-nation anti-'terrorist' military coalition
• Three Turkish police killed in PKK attack: sources
• 15 IS suicide car bombs targetting Iraq forces 'repelled'
• Young Iraqi Christian Refugee Forgives ISIS for Displacing Family, Hopes for a Future Without Wars
• Obama says immigrants renew America, US a welcoming nation
• Afghan security worse in second part of 2015: Pentagon
• Can Trump Stay on Cruz Control in Vegas?
• The Latest: Russian military says Syrian opposition helps it
• Saudi Arabia says sending special forces to Syria under discussion
• UNESCO, museums warn of extremist threat to Libya artifacts
• AP Interview: US General says Afghan IS loyalists growing
• Dangers for journalists still high in 2015: watchdogs
• Pentagon names 1st female commandant of West Point's cadets
• France uses cruise missiles against Islamic State for first time
• France uses first cruise missiles against Islamic State
• Iraq says Turkey must pull out all its troops after partial withdrawal
• U.S., allies stage eight air strikes in Iraq, six in Syria: U.S. military
• Carter's trip aims to strengthen fight against Islamic State
• Agencies Spent $4.4 Billion on Self-Promotion, Violating Federal Rules
• Turkey says to take fight to Kurdish militants as violence flares
• Journalists behind bars: 2015 report highlights China, Egypt

Graham to King of Jordan: 'I am sorry.' Trump doesn’t represent America. Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:08 PM PST Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham delivered a strong rebuke to front-runner Donald Trump over his call for a ban on Muslim immigrants and visitors.

US, Russia agree to push ahead with Syria talks Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:55 PM PST The United States and Russia agreed to plough on with efforts to halt Syria's brutal civil war, with a fresh round of international crisis talks set for this week in New York. After a three-hour meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry, the two sides appeared to be a step closer to each other's positions on Syria, though differences remained on the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. "We support the idea of convening in New York another meeting of the International Syria Support Group at the ministerial level this Friday, December 18," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the talks, which also touched on counterterrorism and Ukraine.

Why Saudi Arabia's coalition against terror might not be all it appears Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:31 PM PST A group of Muslim countries announced Tuesday a coalition aimed at doing what the United States and other powers have long called on the Islamic world to do: make the war on the Islamic State and other Islamist terror groups its own. Saudi leaders announcing the 34-nation coalition and some participants said all the right things in trumpeting the new antiterror alliance. Speaking of a "disease" that has "affected the Islamic world," Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman said that the new coalition underscores "the Islamic world's vigilance in fighting" the scourge of terrorism.

The Latest: GOP presidential candidates meet for 5th debate Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:31 PM PST LAS VEGAS (AP) — The 2016 Republican presidential candidates are debating for the last time in 2015, this time in Las Vegas, as they race for advantage seven weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa.

Clinton: US needs '360-degree' anti-terror strategy Posted: 15 Dec 2015 03:45 PM PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Offering a prebuttal to Republicans, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the American people "cannot give into fear" in the aftermath of attacks in Paris and California, laying out a multi-pronged strategy to protect the homeland and prevent domestic terrorist attacks.

Coalition efforts to stem IS oil yielding results, official says Posted: 15 Dec 2015 03:11 PM PST Stepped-up attacks against the oil infrastructure of the Islamic State group have hurt its bottom line, a senior US official said Tuesday, as the Obama administration tries to rebut claims it is moving too slowly against the jihadists. The US-led coalition that has been bombing IS fighters in Iraq and Syria since August last year has started targeting fuel tankers that move oil around Syria and provide IS fighters with vital funding. Speaking to Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity, the official said the IS group had been making between $40 million and $48 million a month from oil sales.

Top Asian News 10:31 p.m. GMT Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:32 PM PST BANGKOK (AP) — The president of one of the world's biggest seafood exporters expressed frustration and promised change Tuesday after saying an Associated Press investigation that linked slave-peeled shrimp to his company should be a "wake-up call" to the industry. Thiraphong Chansiri said Thai Union will spend millions of dollars to end reliance on poorly regulated contractors that have been responsible for much of the abuse. He added that under the current system, it's almost impossible to ensure that supply chains are clean. Like other exporters in Thailand, his company has for years relied heavily on poor migrants working in factories in the port town of Samut Sakhon to peel, gut and devein shrimp.

US Congress mulls reforms to visa-waiver program Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:14 PM PST Congress is expected to reform a visa-waiver program as part of a sweeping spending bill, but is unlikely to restrict Syrian refugee flow into the United States, top Democrats said Tuesday. US lawmakers are in the final stages of negotiation on a $1.1 trillion spending package for 2016 that would avert a government shutdown before they break for the holidays. It is shaping up as a catch-all measure for several pieces of legislation, and top Senate Democrat Harry Reid said it was likely it would include a bill that reforms the program allowing millions of international visitors to travel to the United States without a visa.

US general is first woman to oversee cadets at West Point academy Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:00 PM PST The Pentagon has for the first time appointed a woman to oversee cadets at the prestigious US Military Academy at West Point, officials announced Tuesday. Brigadier General Diana Holland, a veteran of the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will assume her position as the 76th commandant of cadets in January. "It's a privilege to be part of the team that trains and develops leaders of character for our Army," Holland said in a statement.

Factbox: Oil, casino, refugees in U.S. Congress spending bill swirl Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:46 PM PST Trying to avert a U.S. government shutdown within days, Congress on Tuesday was scrambling to finalize a $1.15 trillion spending bill, but negotiations have been complicated by a dispute over energy policy [L1N14412D] and a host of other issues. Dozens of policy "riders" were being considered by negotiators as add-ons to the spending bill. Republicans want to measure included that would slow or stop entry of Syrian refugees into the United States.

Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:34 PM PST By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan's overall security deteriorated in the second half of this year, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces, the Pentagon said in a grim report to the U.S. Congress released on Tuesday. The Pentagon's assessment, offering statistics and details on attack trends, was yet more evidence of Afghanistan's struggle to blunt a resilient Taliban insurgency despite 14 years of U.S. military engagement. Recent setbacks include the brief fall of the northern city of Kunduz to the Taliban, a months-long struggle in Helmand province and an insurgent raid on the airport in the southern city of Kandahar last week that killed 50 civilians, police and security personnel.

Saudi Arabia creates Islamic bloc to fight terror groups Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:31 PM PST RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Projecting its ambition for regional leadership, Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it has lined up most of the Arab world, NATO member Turkey and several African and Asian countries behind a vaguely defined "Islamic military alliance" against terrorists.

Pentagon says violence is on rise in Afghanistan Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:31 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise, according to a new Pentagon report to Congress that says the Taliban was emboldened by the reduced U.S. military role and can be expected to build momentum from their 2015 attack strategy.

Denmark charges first Syria fighter over joining IS Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:18 PM PST A Danish man who travelled to Syria in 2013 to join the Islamic State group was on Tuesday charged with breaching Denmark's anti-terrorism laws, in the country's first case of its kind. "It is the prosecution's view that everyone who joins IS in Syria has agreed in principle to take part in the terrorist acts that IS commits in the country," prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said in a statement. The latter charge was over carrying 20,000 kroner ($2,935, 2,680 euros) with him when he was arrested by Danish police in March this year as he attempted to return to Syria.

Heavy Iraq crude has limited appeal for U.S. Gulf Coast buyers Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:10 PM PST By Liz Hampton and Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) - Sellers of a new grade of Iraqi oil are competing fiercely to win market share on the U.S. Gulf Coast, though high sulfur content has limited appeal for refiners of the crude, known as Basra Heavy. Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) began selling the crude with an API gravity of about 23 degrees in May after separating it from the Basra Light stream to resolve quality and consistency issues and reach new customers. The first shipments of Basra Heavy to the U.S. Gulf Coast were modest.

Suspect arrested over Paris attacks as raids continue across France Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:30 PM PST A 29-year-old man was arrested in the Paris region on Tuesday as part of the vast investigation into last month's attacks on the city that left 130 dead, a judicial source said. The probe has seen 2,700 police raids and 360 people placed under house arrest since the attacks by the Islamic State group, which triggered a nationwide state of emergency. The man detained Tuesday is to be questioned about possible links with another man who is believed to have left for Syria and who is of particular interest to police investigating the November 13 attacks, a source close to the case said.

Russian security agency investigates suspected IS sponsors Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:18 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top security agency says it has been investigating 1,600 individuals and legal entities suspected of aiding the Islamic State group.

Saudi reopens Baghdad embassy after 25 years Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:08 PM PST Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad Tuesday, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a foreign ministry official said. "The staff of the Saudi embassy arrived today in Baghdad," the official told AFP. A consulate is expected to open later in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

Saudi forms 34-nation anti-'terrorist' military coalition Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:45 AM PST Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday the formation of a military coalition of 34 countries to fight "terrorism" in the Islamic world, in the latest sign of a more assertive foreign policy by the kingdom. It is time that the Islamic world takes a stand," he told reporters in Paris. Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the coalition fits into "the larger, more assertive policy" of Saudi King Salman and Mohammed, his powerful son.

Three Turkish police killed in PKK attack: sources Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:39 AM PST Three Turkish police officers were killed Tuesday in a roadside bomb attack on their vehicle blamed on Kurdish rebels, security sources said, amid a new upsurge in violence in Turkey's troubled southeast. The three were killed in the Silvan district of the mainly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir as their armoured vehicle travelled on a main road, the security sources told AFP. The Turkish government has been waging a relentless offensive aimed at crippling the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has staged a string of attacks against security forces in Turkey since a two-year-old ceasefire fell apart in late July.

15 IS suicide car bombs targetting Iraq forces 'repelled' Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:37 AM PST A wave of 15 suicide car bomb attacks by the Islamic State group (IS) against Iraqi security forces was repelled east of the flashpoint city of Ramadi Tuesday with limited casualties, officials said. The onslaught was the latest in a series of attacks by jihadists defending positions in Ramadi, which Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, are trying to retake. "Aircraft of the international coalition and Iraqi ground forces... repelled a violent attack from Daesh," police Captain Ahmed al-Dulaimi said, using an Arab acronym for IS.

Young Iraqi Christian Refugee Forgives ISIS for Displacing Family, Hopes for a Future Without Wars Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:06 AM PST A young Iraqi Christian girl, whose family has been living in a refugee camp after fleeing ISIS threats, says she forgives the terrorist group and shared her hope for the future. "Yes I forgive them," Myriam told ABC News "20/20" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas, adding that "as Jesus said 'forgive each other, love each other the way I love you,' that is what we need to learn. Just 10 years old, Myriam is among the thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes because of ISIS terror threats.

Obama says immigrants renew America, US a welcoming nation Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:57 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama described immigration on Tuesday as the nation's oldest tradition and part of what makes the country exceptional, as he sought to draw a contrast with those who would seal the borders to people seeking to escape hardships or persecution.

Afghan security worse in second part of 2015: Pentagon Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:48 AM PST The overall security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated in the second half of 2015, with an increase in insurgent attacks and higher casualties among both Taliban and national forces, a Pentagon report stated Tuesday. This month marks a year since the US- and NATO-led mission in Afghanistan transitioned into an Afghan-led operation, with allied nations assisting in training and equipping local forces to tackle Taliban and other groups in the war-torn nation. "The Taliban have remained active in their traditional strongholds, namely in Helmand in the south and Logar and Wardak in the east, and also created a sense of instability for brief periods of time in other parts of the country, such as in Kunduz in northern Afghanistan," the Pentagon's semi-annual report to Congress stated.

Can Trump Stay on Cruz Control in Vegas? Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:40 AM PST Nine Republican candidates will squeeze onto a Las Vegas debate stage on Tuesday, but the lights seem to be shining brightest on two of them at the moment: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

The Latest: Russian military says Syrian opposition helps it Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:29 AM PST MOSCOW (AP) — The latest news on developments in the Syrian conflict. All times local:

Saudi Arabia says sending special forces to Syria under discussion Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:06 AM PST By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states are discussing sending special forces to Syria as part of U.S.-led efforts to fight Islamic State, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday. "There are discussions, countries that are currently part of the coalition (like) Saudi Arabia, the (United Arab) Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain about sending in some special forces into Syria, and those discussions are ongoing.

UNESCO, museums warn of extremist threat to Libya artifacts Posted: 15 Dec 2015 09:59 AM PST PARIS (AP) — Leading world museums and the U.N. cultural agency are releasing a list of Greek and Roman antiquities and prehistoric artwork under threat from Islamic State extremists in lawless Libya.

AP Interview: US General says Afghan IS loyalists growing Posted: 15 Dec 2015 09:12 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Supporters of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan are attempting to establish a regional base in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, said on Tuesday.

Dangers for journalists still high in 2015: watchdogs Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:57 AM PST Journalists faced ongoing threats of jail or abduction for their work in many areas of the world, with China and Egypt imprisoning the largest number of reporters, watchdog groups said Tuesday. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists identified 199 members of the press behind bars because of their work in 2015 in journalism, compared with 221 the previous year. The group said that even though some countries released journalists, a climate of fear remained intense in many countries.

Pentagon names 1st female commandant of West Point's cadets Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:52 AM PST WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be the first female commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, one of West Point's top positions.

France uses cruise missiles against Islamic State for first time Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:29 AM PST France has used cruise missiles for the first time against the Islamic State during strikes in Iraq on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said. SCALP long-range missiles were launched from French fighter jets based in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan as part of a bombing raid that targeted a command center, training site and logistics depot in western Iraq on the border with Syria. France has stepped up strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq after the organization claimed responsibility for shootings and suicide bombings in Paris last month that left 130 people dead.

France uses first cruise missiles against Islamic State Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST The French air force used its first cruise missiles against Islamic State group targets in Iraq on Tuesday, the defence ministry said. "Launched from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, the raid was made up of a dozen fighter planes equipped with cruise missiles and bombs," the French ministry said in a statement. The jets targeted buildings in the Al-Qaim area of western Iraq, a civilian neighbourhood that also serves as "a training centre and logistical depot," the ministry said.

Iraq says Turkey must pull out all its troops after partial withdrawal Posted: 15 Dec 2015 07:17 AM PST Turkey must pull all its forces out of a camp in northern Iraq, a spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister said on Tuesday after Turkey withdrew some troops from the area. The deployment of around 150 Turkish troops to a camp near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this month has strained relations between Ankara and Baghdad, which protested to the United Nations. Turkey said on Monday that some of its troops had begun leaving, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman said it was not enough.

U.S., allies stage eight air strikes in Iraq, six in Syria: U.S. military Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State militants with a fresh round of 14 air strikes in Syria and Iraq on Monday, the U.S. military said in a statement. In Iraq, eight air strikes near three cities hit three Islamic State tactical units, an improvised explosive device factory and various fighting positions, among other targets, according to the statement released on Tuesday. Six strikes near three Syrian cities hit three of the group's tactical units, a building and wounded three militant fighters, the statement said. ...

Carter's trip aims to strengthen fight against Islamic State Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:44 AM PST INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the U.S. wants Turkey to better control its border with Syria, which could help block the flow of foreign fighters to the Islamic State, and to more forcefully join the U.S.-led coalition "in the air and on the ground."

Agencies Spent $4.4 Billion on Self-Promotion, Violating Federal Rules Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:30 AM PST The Obama administration got its hand slapped last year with the revelation that government agencies had spent literally billions of dollars promoting themselves with the public and news media in contravention of federal rules against just such activities. A Congressional Research Service study revealed that the administration had spent at minimum a total of $4.4 billion on outside advertising contracts between fiscal 2009 and 2013 – including $419 million for the Pentagon, $197.4 million for the Department of Health and Human Services and $128.8 million for the Department of Education. More recently, The Washington Post reported that an agency of DHS had contracted with the Edelman public relations firm "to refine their agency messaging" with reporters.

Turkey says to take fight to Kurdish militants as violence flares Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:34 AM PST By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey will take the fight to Kurdish militants in the southeast to prevent them from "spreading the fire" from neighboring Syria and Iraq into the country, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday, as violence flared up again. Since the collapse of a ceasefire with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in July, the mainly Kurdish southeast has been wracked by clashes between security forces and PKK fighters and subjected to frequent curfews. On Monday, two men were shot dead in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir, while security forces have killed six militants in the province of Mardin since Friday.

Journalists behind bars: 2015 report highlights China, Egypt Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:23 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — China, Egypt and Iran top the list of the world's leading jailers of journalists in a new annual report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Eritrea, Ethiopia and Turkey also figured prominently on the list.

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